In a scene not too uncommon in today’s world, local dad Alan Devlin reassured his high school son, Keith, with an enthusiastic “You got this!” to cover for having absolutely no idea how to help him with his Algebra homework.
“Hey, Dad, can you help me with this Algebra problem?” Keith asked, holding up a page filled with variables and exponents.
Without missing a beat, Alan responded in a way that he hoped wouldn’t give away his algebraic ineptitude. “You don’t need my help, son. You got this!”
Keith, a sophomore at Quadratic High, initially welcomed his dad’s encouragement. “At first, I thought he was just trying to boost my confidence,” Keith said. “But then I realized he had absolutely no clue what he was talking about when he started using phrases like “x equals whatever you want it to be” and “Try dividing by zero.”
“Why was algebra so easy for the Romans? Because X was always 10.” Alan joked, leaning into classic dad humor hoping it would distract from the situation.”
Alan wasn’t fooling anyone but himself with his avoidance tactics. “I’d love to help you buddy but I have to replace the piston return springs in the truck,” he said connivingly.
Once Keith caught wind of his dad’s strategy, his “You got this” motto is now a family inside joke. Whether his dad is asking for help moving a couch or is fixing the WiFi, Keith always responds with “You got this!” before walking away.
At least one piece of ancient knowledge was passed on from father to son. When you don’t know what you’re doing, just fake it.
